MRC Foundation Events

Preview: The Inglis Debutant Stakes

Ancestry is out of the American sire, The Brothers War out of Maltese. A half-brother to the Group 2 winner, Diamond Tathagata, he was purchased for $80,000 at the 2018 Magic Millions Yearling Sale. He trialed at Flemington on October 5, where he settled second and worked to the line strongly under moderate riding in reasonable time.

WATCH: Ancestry's Flemington jumpout (white jacket, blue spots)

Lanigera is a colt by the Godolpin-owned sire Denman out of the Stakes-winning mare, Chinchilla. He went to the Flemington jumpouts on September 29 and showed good early speed before being given a quiet time late. It was a fast jumpout down the straight that has already produced a winner: Unite And Conquer (red jacket).

WATCH: Langiera's Flemington jumpout (blue jacket)

Wedgetail is by Foxwedge out of the unraced Choisir mare, Chloe. Trained by Tony McEvoy, he fetched $180,000 at the 2018 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale. He went around in the same straight-track Flemington trial as Lanigera and was strong to the line, closest to the inside (vision above).

The first of the fillies is Biscara, a daughter of Rubick out of the Strategic mare, Liza. Raced by JHB Syndications, she fetched $42,000 at the 2018 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale. She looked good in her Flemington jumpout on September 21 when going to the line locked together with her stablemate, Espinola,who ran OK at Flemington last week. Her trial at Tatura on September 10 was sound.

WATCH: Biscara's Flemington jumpout (white jacket)

Champagne Boom is a son of last year’s boom sire, Spirit Of Boom, out of Lucky Toss; making her a half-sister to Matt Cumani’s speedy entire, Our Regal Warrior. She won a slow trial at Tatura on September 10, clocking 1:04.16 on a morning that 1:00.44 was the quickest for the 1000m.

She has since jumped out twice at Flemington; she went to the line locked together with Sebrakate (who won in Adelaide last weekend) before getting back in a straight-track jumpout and working to the line strongly.

WATCH: Champagne Boom's Flemington jumpout (red jacket)

The first of a trio of fillies on debut for Robbie Griffiths is Feign, a daughter of Sepoy. She is bred and raced by Princeton Thoroughbred Stud and as such didn’t pass through a sales ring.

She backs up from trialing behind Utzon (also engaged here) at Cranbourne on Monday. She settled midfield, took a little bit of riding to work through her gears at the top of the straight but hit the line strongly. It’s hard to see her turning the tables on Utzon, especially from the wide draw.

WATCH: Feign's Cranbourne trial

Lady Cornelia is by the Irish sire, Canford Cliffs and she is the second of the Griffiths runners. She comes through the same trial as her stablemate, Feign. She was only moderately into stride but used the inside running to get herself into contention as they rounded the home bend. She wasn’t knocked around late in running second, alongside Feign. Again, it would be hard to see her beating Utzon home.

Magnicity looks the pick of the Griffiths trio and I think she has a strong winning chance. She is a daughter of Magnus out of the Exceed And Excel mare, A City Girl. She fetched $70,000 when she went through the ring at the 2018 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale.

She trialed on Monday at Cranbourne, finishing second to Ruski (also engaged here) in the fastest of the 2YO trials. She settled three-deep on speed before working to the line powerfully for Jye McNeil. From gate six on Saturday, she should settle just behind the leading bunch before pouncing late. She looks over the odds at $11.

WATCH: Magnicity's Cranbourne trial

The likely leader in the race is Mockery. A filly by the Champion Older Male Miler of Ireland in 2014, Verrazano, she has been retained by her breeder to race.

A speedy filly, she clocked 48.32 secs over 800m, which was the quickest of four 2YO trials at Cranbourne on September 17 and his first 400m split of 24.86s the fastest of all 29 heats. The one concern was she tired late in that trial (12.20s last 200m - the slowest of the 800-metre trials) but over the 1000m around Caulfield she is going to be in front a long way and they may struggle to run her down.

Ruski is one of the most interesting runners of the race. She is a $25,000 purchase from the Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale by the Victorian sire, Reward For Effort. Ruski is one of just four horses in work for Bass-based trainer, Belinda Simpson, and the stable’s last winner was Strike The Stars in a maiden Hurdle at Hamilton on April 20.

This filly is going to share the early speed with Mockery and Utzon. Her trial at Cranbourne on Monday was good enough to see her highly competitive on debut. It would be a great story if Simpson was able to get her speedy two-year-old to upstage her big-name rivals on one of Australia’s best race days!

WATCH: Ruski's Cranbourne trial

Aaron Purcell saddles up Sunstantial, who will be ridden by Linda Meech. She is by the ill-fated sire, Unencumbered, out of the speedy mare Snipzu - who herself ran second in a Gimcrack on debut. A $50,000 purchase at the Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale, she sat outside the lead in a Cranbourne trial on September 17 before finishing a close-up fourth under moderate riding.

WATCH: Substantial's Cranbourne trial

Punters won't miss Utzon. The all-white daughter of Charm Spirit will turn heads when she steps into the mounting yard. In a week where the Sydney Opera House has been the centre of much debate, it's appropriate that this filly out of The Opera House will debut at Caulfield on Saturday. Purchased at the NZB National Yearling Sale for NZD$120,000, she has ability to match her flashy looks. She went to the Cranbourne trials on Monday and dominated from the front. It was an excellent trial and with James McDonald in the pigskin and just the one bend to navigate over the 1000m, she should make light work of the wide draw.

WATCH: Utzon's Cranbourne trial

The Verdict: This is a highly competitive 2YO race and the market reflects that with it being $5.50 the field. Not keen to go overboard, but if I’m spending a $50 then $10 goes on each of Magnicity, Mockery and Utzon and the other $20 towards drinks.